excellence, actually

This past weekend, in the men's NCAA tournament, Duke led UConn by 19 points and had a 99% chance to win and advance to the Final Four. Instead, Duke improbably blew their lead, and UConn stormed furiously back to win on a last-second shot. We analyze both sides of that performance, answering two questions that apply not just to basketball but to life: How do you stay focused and maintain effort when the odds of success seem insurmountable? And how do you stay aggressive and not get defensive when you have a big lead? We detail how to actually embody a next-play mindset (easy to say, hard to do, but useful for when you're behind or up big), how to take a promote rather than a prevent mindset (or: playing to win, rather than playing not to lose), and why the "zero-zero reset" can keep you calm under pressure.
Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay
Click here for an AI-generated transcript (please excuse errors in grammar or spelling)
- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter
- Join The Growth Equation Academy
- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

March Madness has given us some incredible moments between coaches and their players. Today, we use one in particular — the viral moment between Maryland's coach Brenda Frese and star player Oluchi Okananwa (you can watch it at the link below) — as a jumping off point to talk about leading and motivating more broadly. What can all of us learn from the moment between Frese and Okananwa? How should we use and distribute validation? When does intensity help and when does it hurt? When might negative self-talk actually be a good tool to use? This episode is for everyone, because whether you're coaching others or simply trying to better lead yourself, you've got to know how to light a fire without burning down the house.
Link to video of Frese-Okananwa: https://x.com/sportingnews/status/2035769026308162041
Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay
Click here for an AI-generated transcript
- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter
- Join The Growth Equation Academy
- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, we unpack one of the most universal performance problems: getting in your own way. Drawing on the "Self 1 vs. Self 2" framework from The Inner Game of Tennis, neuroscience, and child psychology, we explore why caring too much can be the very thing that tanks your performance — and what to actually do about it. From fourth-grade Turkey trots to Roger Bannister's sub-four-minute mile, we cover the many forms of self-sabotage (before, during, and the night before the big day), how to be a "good enough parent" to yourself under pressure, and how coaches can help athletes quiet the inner critic without pretending it doesn't exist.
Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay
- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter
- Join The Growth Equation Academy
- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What do success and failure have in common? They can both trap you. Success can lead to complacency or a plateau, and failure can render you so discouraged or apathetic that you don't feel ready to try again. That's not a fun place to be! So today we're discussing how you can build and keep momentum, no matter the reason you might get stuck. Drawing on wisdom that ranges from NBA star Steph Curry to the ancient Buddhist priest Takuan Sōhō, we about talk momentum killers (and how to avoid them), the importance of knowing how to both "go where the water's fast" and stop one rep short, and the rule that will help prevent you from wallowing in failure or basking in success for too long.
Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay
- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter
- Join The Growth Equation Academy
- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How do you have fun while working really hard? For many elite athletes, figuring out how to balance joy and suffering is the key to a long and successful career. Today, we explore how they do it — and how you can, too. We dig into the psychology of "beautiful suffering," explain why joy is connected to agency, the important difference between authoritarian and authoritative coaching, and the steps you can take to shift from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation, which is the ultimate competitive advantage.
Get a free LMNT drink mix pack with any purchase: drinkLMNT.com/Clay
Click here for an AI-generated transcript
- Subscribe to The Growth Equation newsletter
- Join The Growth Equation Academy
- If you are enjoying "excellence, actually," do us a huge favor: text your favorite episode to three people so they can enjoy it, too. Thanks!
iTunes and Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Android
PocketCasts
YouTube

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.